Democrat Amy Acton wins Ohio governorship, defeating Vivek Ramaswamy in bitter race

Result and margins

Democrat Amy Acton won the Ohio governorship on Tuesday, 3 November, defeating Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, according to CBS News projections cited by the BBC. Acton, 60, becomes the first woman to hold the office. The Washington Post noted that Ohio had not elected a Democrat as governor since 2006, and that Republican Donald Trump carried the state in each of his three presidential runs, most recently by more than 11 points in 2024.

With 90% of the vote counted, El País reported Acton at 51% against 45.7% for Ramaswamy. The Senate race ran along similar lines: Democrat Sherrod Brown held 48.7% to 46.4% for Republican Husted at the same point of the count. Brown is seeking to win back a seat he lost in 2024.

Amy Acton (governor)51%

Vivek Ramaswamy (governor)45.7%

Sherrod Brown (Senate)48.7%

Jon Husted (Senate)46.4%

Amy Acton (governor)

51 %

Vivek Ramaswamy (governor)

45.7 %

Sherrod Brown (Senate)

48.7 %

Jon Husted (Senate)

46.4 %

Data from the article text

The closing weeks

The contest turned bitter in its final weeks after Ramaswamy's campaign released a personal attack ad featuring Acton's estranged mother, who says in the spot that her daughter "lied her entire life". The ad did not mention that Acton's stepfather had been charged with raping her when she was a child, the BBC reported. El País said the ad was released about fifteen days before the vote and that the campaign had come up with it itself. Ramaswamy's campaign said it would spend $4 million to air the ad across Ohio.

Republican Governor Mike DeWine called the ad "deeply troubling", and Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor, also criticised it. Trump described the ad as "powerful" and encouraged Ramaswamy to keep it running. Vice-President JD Vance, who previously served as Ohio's senator, said he was "a little bit disgusted" by criticism from fellow Republicans and wanted them to stop "whining". After the ad began airing, the editorial board of the Columbus Dispatch endorsed Acton and criticised the spot in harsh terms.

Money and campaign platforms

Ramaswamy, a billionaire biotech entrepreneur, had helped Elon Musk plan Trump's Department of Government Efficiency before leaving that post on Inauguration Day to run for governor. Trump endorsed him early, which the Washington Post said cleared his path to the GOP primary. By late September, Ramaswamy had put more than $36 million in loans from his personal fortune into the race. Acton out-raised him by nearly 2 to 1 in September alone, but Axios reported that Ramaswamy and his allies poured more than $100 million into advertising overall.

Acton ran on cost of living and affordability. Her proposals included an earned income credit, a child credit worth up to $1,000, a publicly run prescription drug platform, and property tax relief for seniors and middle-income homeowners. She led Ohio's early covid-19 response alongside DeWine and campaigned on her Youngstown roots. The candidates never debated after Acton declined to take part, citing Ramaswamy's personal attacks.

Concession, transition and what comes next

In his concession, Ramaswamy said he is "rooting" for the state, as well as for Acton. In her acceptance speech, Acton said "the healing begins today" and pledged to work with anyone and everyone to make life better for Ohioans. She succeeds DeWine, who is term-limited, and takes office in January facing a Republican-controlled General Assembly that could complicate her agenda, according to Axios. The Guardian reported that potential clashes are likely over tax reform, school funding and datacenters.

The Washington Post reported that Trump's job approval in Ohio has slumped into the mid-30s in recent polls it cited, and said the Ohio result, together with the Senate race, will indicate how solid Trump's coalition remains heading into the 2028 presidential season.